Ball-point pen with tandem cartridges



Jan. 30, 1962 c. D. ASHCROFT BALL-POINT PEN WITH TANDEM CARTRIDGES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 2. 1957 INVENTOR. CHAR; E5 0. /45HCROF7' HTTORNE'Y Jan. 30, 1962 c. D. ASHCROFT BALL-POINT PEN WITH TANDEM CARTRIDGES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001.. 2, 1957 0442455 9. flSA/CEOA'? INVENTOR.

A TOPA/EV Jan. 30, 1962 c. D. ASHCROFT 3,018,761

BALL-POINT PEN WITH TANDEM CARTRIDGES Filed Oct. 2. 1957 '3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 2a. FIG. 2A. FIG. 6a.

- CA/fiQLES ,0. 0514000 7 IN VEN TOR.

107' 7' GPA/E 4 United States Patent )filice.

Patented Jan. 30, 1962 3,018,761 BALL-PNT PEN Will-ll TANDEM CARTRIBGIIS Charles E). Ashcroft, 1219 flak Circle Drive, Glendale 8, Calif. Filed Get. 2, 1957, Ser. No. 688,163 6 Claims. (Ci. mil-42.1)

This invention relates to an improved ball-point pen and more particularly, to a ball-point pen having a refill cartridge in tandem with the cartridge in position for use.

This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Serial No. 467,321, entitled, Ball-Point Pen Cartridge, filed November 8, 1954 by Charles D.

pected depletion causes a special inconvenience because.

a refill must be made by replacement of the cartridge and not, as with an ordinary fountain pen, by ink from a bottle. Recognizing the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ball-point pen embodying means by which the user will be apprised of the fact that a certain proportionof the ink in the pen is depleted and, thereby, the need for replacement of the exhausted portion will be indicated but the pen will still be in condition for use.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a sectional cartridge for ball-point pens so that the depletion of the ink in one section advises the user of the need for replacing said section while the other section may continue in use to supply ink for the pen.

Another object of the invention is to provide a twopart cartridge for ball-point pens whereby either one part or the other may be placed in the writing position.

Other objects of the invention are to provide means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration'or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partly in section,-of a ball-point cartridge according to the present invention, the same being shown in operative position in a pen housing.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, of an alternative form of cartridge.

FIG. 2a is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, showing a modification of the connecting means shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 2b is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in tion.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the connector element shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a ball-pointpen, partly in section, showing a fourth embodiment of the inven-' tion.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section and fragmentary view of a modified version of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6a is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, of another modified version of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal section and fragmentary view illustrating a fifth embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7a is a fragmentary sectional view of one form of the embodiment shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 7b is a fragmentary view of a modification of the invention shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 8 is a view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 7.

The present cartridge comprises, generally, two similar sections of 5 and 6, and means 7 separably interconnecting said sections.

The present cartridge, which is in effect two cartridges, is provided instead of or as replacement for the single type cartridge in the prior art. This new plurality of cartridges in tandem arrangement is shown in pen barrel 8, drawn in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1. The tandem cartridges of the present invention may be made of the proper shape and size, indicated in FIG. 1, for pens having retractable and projectable cartridges, in which a spring 9 is provided to create a retractive force on the cartridge. The spring and the manner of its interengagement with the barrel and section of the cartridge in writing position may be the same as in the conventional ballpoint pen and, therefore, if so, will function in the conventional manner.

The cartridge sections 5 and 6 each comprises a tubular barrel 10 that at one end carries an extension 11 in which an end seat thereof a ball 12 is rotatably fitted. The extension 11 is tightly fitted in barrel 10 and, in the usual manner, is provided with a passage that permits the flow of ink from said barrel to the seat in which the ball 12 is fitted. The flattened part 13 of barrel 10 constitutes a shoulder for one end of spring 9.

The above described cartridge section is generally conventional, except that the length thereof is substantially less than the length of a cartridge that would ordinarily be used in a pen of the relative size shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the means 7 is disposed in the end opposite to the extension 11 and the same is provided with a bushing or sleeve insert 14 of internal size to receive the extension 11. The internal size of bushing 14 may be such to hold extension 11 snugly or loosely, depending upon the design requirements of the pen. Thus, the two sections 5 and 6 may be connected in a line tandem relation, as shown, by introducing the extension 11 of one section into the bushing 14 of the other section. Bushing 14 may be securely fitted in barrel 10 or may be withdrawable therefrom on extension 11.

Since the feed of the ink depends on a venting means adjacent the top or rear end of the cartridge, sections 5 and 6 in FIG. 1 are provided with a vent port 15- which is located above the line or level of the ink when they are filled. If sleeve 14 is made to be sufiiciently loose in relation to the extension or the barrel, an air passage will be provided between it and the extension or between it and the barrel, respectively. This will eliminate the use of the pen is afforded and ample time is had for replacing the depleted cartridge section before the ink in the second cartridge is exhausted.

Instead of the telescopic interfit between the extension 11 of one section and the bushing 14 in the other, the connecting means 7, as shown in FIG. 2 may comprise a seamless sleeve that may shoulder on flattened part 13 of one cartridge and may be pinched at 17 to provide a position-limiting shoulder for the other cartridge. If desired, the pinched part 17 may serve to limit the position of both sections, relatively, as shown in FIG. 2a. The sleeve 16 may be provided with a vent hole 18 to permit the flow of ink through the cartridge 6. A modfication of the sleeve may comprise a slitted tube 16a, shown in FIG. 2b in which case the slit 18a would be depended on for vent purposes and hole 18, accordingly, would be omitted.

The embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 shows connecting means similar to sleeve 7 including a sleeve 19 and, in addition, a differently formed position limitingmeans for the sections. As shown, the sleeve is transversely slit at 20 and the portions of the tube on each side of a longitudinal slit best illustrated in FIG. 4 are bent inward, as at 21, to form stops for the adjacent ends of the two cartridge sections 5 and 6.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a fourth embodiment of the invention is shown in which the connecting means 7 is shown as a straight sleeve 27 of the same general shape of barrels forms the connecting means for the two sections 5 and 6 in ball-point pen 8. The upper and open end of section 6 and the lower and writing end of section 5 extend into connector 27 in tandem arrangement.

In FIG. 5, sleeve 27 is of such length so as to be in a limiting engagement with stops 13 on sections 5 and 6. In FIG. 6, sleeve 27a is shown to be of shorter length so that it can be in engagement with only one of the stops 13. Here the extension 11 of section 5 is shown extending within the top and open end of section 6. This fitting is a loose one and permits the passage of air into the upper end of barrel 10 of section 6 through passage or transverse space 22, bounded by the interior surface of sleeve 27a and the exterior surfaces of barrels 10 of sections 5 and 6, and through passage 23 between extension 11 and the inner wall of the barrel. If one section (5) should fit onto the other (6) to seal off air from the ink in the latter, a notch or cutaway portion 23a can be cut into the top edge of each barrel to provide a positive air passage. Air enters pen 8 through conventional openings at both the top and bottom.

In FIG. 5, the sleeve 27 is fitted loosely on barrels 10, as in FIG. 6, to permit the passage of air between its inner surface and the aforesaid barrels and into upper end of the barrel of section 6. Thus, it is clear that by varying the length of the sleeve, the extension 11 of section 5 may be positioned so as to be entirely within the upper end of section 6, as shown in FIG. 6, entirely above section 6, as in FIG. 5, or at some position in between the latter two, as in FIG. 6a.

In FIGS. 7 and 8, there is a further embodiment of the invention which is similar to that shown in FIG. 1. In this embodiment, however, an air supply opening, such as 15, in the wall of barrels 10 is eliminated. This is accomplished by having a longitudinal slit 25 through the Wall of bushing or sleeve 24 and extending the full length thereof. A sleeve 24 may either be securely fitted in the tops of barrels 10 of both sections, as shown in FIG. 7a, or may be fitted so as to be withdrawable from section 6 on extension 11 of section 5, as shown in FIG. 7b. The diameter of bushing 24- in its relation to extension 11 may be such that extension 11 may fit either loosely or tightly in the bushing. If the bushing is designed to be withdrawn from barrel 10 on section 11, then a relatively tight fit will be desirable.

In operation, the present invention is used in the same manner as the convention retractable and projectable ball-point pen until the ink in the section in writing positions is depleted. Then, the two sections are interchanged and section 5, for example, is moved into the writing position. Section 6, although empty, remains an integral part of the pen and is moved into the nonwriting position. After this has been accomplished, the pen is again operated as a conventional one, the user having been informed of the fact that he needs a new section 6.

It is to be noted that the word slidable or any other grarrnnatical use of this word hereinbefore or hereinafter in this description or in the claims appended hereto, when applied to the manner in which the separate cartridge sections of the tandem arrangement are assembled and disassembled from each other is specifically and strictly limited to the case wherein the cartridge sections may be assembled in the tandem arrangement purely by longitudinal movement as distinguished from the case where rotary movement would necessarily be required with longitudinal movement of the writing end of one into the opposite end of the other as helical screw threads would require. It no doubt will be understood that in addition to longitudinal movement, circular movement is possible, but never necessary when the words slidable, sliding, etc. are employed herein. In other words, the word slidable as defined herein, unquestionably distinguishes over the threaded engagement of tandem members where the thread be a straight or a conical helix in shape as shown in US. Patent No. 2,502,435, no threaded construction of any kind being contemplated by the present invention.

My description in specific detail of presently preferred practices of the invention for the purpose of the disclosure and to illustrate the principles involved will suggest to those skilled in the art various changes, modifications and other departures from my disclosure that properly lie within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cartridge for use in a ball-point pen comprising two similar aligned cartridge sections, each having a ball-point Writing end and an end opposite said writing end, each section having an ink carrying chamber in communication with said writing end and with said opposite end, said opposite end being open, each of said ink carrying chambers being generally tubular and terminating at one end thereof in a small diameter portion forming the writing end, each of said writing ends terminating in the ball point, each section having an integral stop portion extending transversely therefrom and the stop portions of both sections being similarly spaced from the respective ends, a sleeve connector slidably engaged with both sections and having one end in limiting engagement with the stop portion of one of the sections, said one section having its opposite end within said connector and its writing and extending outwardly of said connector, said connector being provided with an integral limiting shoulder intermediate its ends engaged with the other section to space the sections, and means to vent said opposite end and said chamber of said one section through said connector.

2. A cartridge according to claim 1: said connector having an intermediate portion between the portion engaged with the sections, said means to vent being an opening provided in said intermediate portion, said opposite end of said one section being in communication with said intermediate portion.

3. A cartridge for use in a ball-point pen comprising two similar aligned elongated cartridge sections each having a writing end and an end opposite said writing end, each writing end having a ball-point, each section having an ink carrying chamber in communication with said writing endand with said opposite end, said opposite end being open, each section having an integral stop portion extending transversely therefrom and being similarly spaced from the respective ends, a sleeve connector slidably engaged with both sections and having one end in limiting engagement with one of said stop portions, the writing end of one of said sections being directed toward the opposite end of said other section in said sleeve, and means in said sleeve to vent the opposite end and chamber of said other section.

4. In a ball-point pen, the combination comprising: two similar cartridge sections in an aligned arrangement, each section having a ball-point writing end, and an end opposite said writing end, each section having an ink carrying chamber in communication with said writing end and said opposite end, each of said ink carrying chambers being of generally tubular configuration and having one end thereof terminating in a small diameter portion forming the writing end, each of said writing ends terminating in the ball point, said writing ends being pointed in the same direction, a bushing carried in the opposite end of each of said sections, the writing end of one of said sections being slidable tightly into the bushing of the other of said sections, the writing end of the other of said sections also being slidable tightly in the bushing of said one section, the writing end of one of said sections being disposed inside the bushing of the other of said sections, whereby said tandem arrangement may be employed as a single rigid cartridge in a retractable cartridge ball-point pen, the tight fit of the bushing of said one section on the writing end of said other section and the tight fit of said bushing in said other section on the writing end of said one section permitting the convenient and secure manual removal of both of said cartridges from said pen simultaneously by frictional engagement of a bushing of said one section on the writing end of said other section and vice-versa, without soiling the hands or clothes, the friction character of gripping action of said bushing, however, permitting interchangeability of said cartridges, whereby the writing end of said one section may be removed from the bushing of said other section and the writing end of said other section may be inserted inside the bushing of said one section and vice-versa; and means to vent the chamber of each of said sections at said opposite ends to obviate any airtight seal produced by the tight fit between the bushing on said one section and the writing end of said other section and vice-versa.

5. In a ball-point pen, the combination comprising: two similar cartridge sections in an aligned arrangement, each section having a ball-point writing end, and an end opposite said writing end, each section having an ink carrying chamber in communication with said writing end and said opposite end, each said ink carrying chambers being of generally tubular configuration and having one end thereof terminating in a small diameter portion forming the writing end, each of said writing ends having a cylindrical external surface of uniform diameter along its length terminating in the ball point, said writing ends being pointed in the same direction, a solid bushing having a cylindrical internal surface of uniform diameter along its length carried in the opposite end of each of said sections, the writing end of one of said sections being slidable tightly into the bushing of the other of said sections, the writing end of the other of said sections also being slidable tightly in the bushing of said one section, the writing end of one of said sections being disposed inside the bushing of the other of said sections, whereby said tandem arrangement may be employed as a single rigid cartridge in a retractable cartridge ball-point pen, the tight fit of the bushing of said one section on the writing end of said other section and the tight fit of said bushing in said other section on the writing end of said one section permitting the convenient and secure manual removal of both of said cartridges from said pen simultaneously by frictional engagement of a bushing of said one section on the writing end of said other section and vice-versa, without soiling the hands or clothes, the friction character of gripping action of said bushing, however, permitting interchangeability of said cartridges, whereby the writing end of said one section may be removed from the bushing of said other section and the writing end of said other section may be inserted inside the bushing of said one section and viceversa; and means to vent the chamber of each of said sections at said opposite ends to obviate an airtight seal produced by the tight fit between the bushing on said one section and the writing end of said other section and vice-versa.

6. In a ball-point pen, the combination comprising: two similar cartridge sections in an aligned arrangement, each section having a ball-point writing end, and an end opposite said writing end, each section having an ink carrying chamber in communication with said writing end and said opposite end, each said ink carrying chambers being of generally tubular configuration and having one end thereof terminating in a small diameter portion forming the writing end, each of said writing ends having a cylindrical external surface of uniform diameter along its length terminating in the ball point, said writing ends being pointed in the same direction, the opposite end of each of said sections having a cylindrical internal surface of uniform diameter along its length, a solid bushing having cylindrical internal and external surfaces of uniform diameters along its length fixed in the opposite end of each of said sections, the writing end of one of said sections being slidable tightly into the bushing of the other of said sections, the writing end of the other of said sections also being slidable tightly in the bushing of said one section, the writing end of one of said sections being disposed inside the bushing of the other of said sections, whereby said tandem arrangement may be employed as a single rigid cartridge in a retractable cartridge ball-point pen, the tight fit of the bushing of said one section on the writing end of said other section and the tight fit of said bushing in said other section on the writing end of said one section permitting the convenient and secure manual removal of both of said cartridges from said pen simultaneously by frictional engagement of a bushing of said one section on the writing end of said other section and vice-versa, without soiling the hands or clothes, the friction character of gripping action of said bushing, however, permitting interchangeability of said cartridges, whereby the writing end of said one section may be removed from the bushing of said other section and the writing end of said other section may be inserted inside the bushing of said one section and viceversa; each of said sections being provided with a hole therethrough at said opposite ends thereof below the position of said bushings therein to vent the chamber of each of said sections at said opposite ends to obviate an airtight seal produced by the tight fit between the bushing on said one section and the writing end of said other section and vice-versa.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,947,072 Walton Feb. 13, 1934 2,040,092 Leedy May 12, 1936 2,877,744 Ray Mar. 17, 1959 2,910,045 Gordo Oct. 27, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 105,956 Australia Nov. 24, 1938 613,673 Great Britain Dec. 1, 1948 633,452 Great Britain Dec. 19, 1949 286,888 Switzerland Mar. 2, 1953 551,505 Belgium Oct. 31, 1956 218,941 Australia Nov. 24, 1958 

